Music and Performing Arts
At Discovery Primary Academy, Music is taught by a specialist music teacher and Performing Arts are incorporated into the lessons as appropriate.
Intent
At Discovery Primary Academy, our intent is to provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop skills and appreciate a wide variety of musical forms. Across the academy, they will learn about the same musical concepts through different musical activities which will enable them to develop a secure, deeper learning and mastery of musical skills.
- We encourage our children's understanding and enjoyment of music through an active involvement in listening, composing and performing.
- We provide the opportunity for children to develop their individual skills, sharing and co-operative learning experiences.
- We help children to develop an awareness of musical traditions and developments from various cultures.
- We build all children's confidence by encouraging children to participate in a variety of musical experiences.
Implementation
The implementation of the Music Curriculum at Discovery Primary Academy is delivered predominantly through the specialist music program, which is designed specifically for the teaching of music in primary schools. Lessons are planned in sequences to provide children with the opportunities to review, remember, deepen and apply their understanding. A dedicated, specialist teacher produces inclusive lessons for all children to access the musical curriculum in a fun and engaging way, further promoting a love of learning.
Children are taught to recognise the musical elements of pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture and structure. Furthermore, they are taught to make music together, to understand musical notation and to compose pieces. The children will learn how to play the recorder, xylophone and a variety of percussion instruments, as well as perform using body percussion and vocal sounds. They are also taught to sing and play in time, controlling the sound and pace. They are taught different ways to represent sounds graphically and symbolically.
Discovery Primary Academy also offers private tuition and a range of extracurricular music activities to enrich children’s love and learning of music.
Impact
Through the child’s journey at Discovery Primary Academy, their musical skills and understanding are developed year-on-year, from singing simple songs from memory and performing simple rhythm patterns in KS1, to more advanced techniques and skills, and understanding in lower KS2, further developing in upper KS2 where the children can play an instrument confidently, and can read and follow a simple musical score. Throughout all this, the child’s enjoyment of music is a key element, running alongside the ‘taught’ musical skills and objectives. We want our children to become musical, creative pupils.
By the time pupils leave the academy at the end of Year 6, it is our intention that they will have secure skills and understanding and a good grasp of nine key concepts:
- Pulse
- Pitch
- Tempo
- Rhythm
- Timbre
- Dynamics
- Structure
- Notation
- Texture
Please see below for our curriculum overview for Music.
Achievements
We are also regularly in the newspaper with our musical achievements and our wonderful new music room.
A Message to our Peripatetic Team from Mrs Barnes
I wanted to take a moment to offer a heartfelt thank you for everything you do for our children and for the music provision at our school.
Your expertise and encouragement have made such a difference – not just in the musical development of our pupils, but in their confidence, creativity and joy. Whether it’s the first tentative playing of a beginner or a child flourishing under your guidance, your patience and passion are at the heart of it all.
The impact you have goes far beyond the music room. You are helping us to shape a school’s culture, bringing a sense of pride, teamwork and expression. Our pupils are thriving because of the opportunities you are helping us give them – to learn, to perform and to persevere.
Ms Siequien, Mrs Armstrong and I are incredibly proud of what we’ve built together so far and even more excited about what’s to come. As we continue to grow our music department, it’s a joy to know that you will be part of that journey with us – helping to inspire the next generation and playing a key role in shaping their futures through music.
Thank you again for the musical sharing concert. We are looking forward to another year.
Kindest regards
Mrs Barnes
Response
Thank you for the lovely message. It's always good fun being at Discovery. It always makes a difference coming into a school where the reception team and all staff are friendly, and then the students are always enthusiastic and polite.
Here's to more great things to come!
It's been a pleasure teaching at Discovery this year and I look forward to seeing what next year has in store.